The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of apparatus for the compaction of fibers or the like.
Generally speaking, the fiber compaction apparatus of the present development is of the type comprising a fiber exit arranged at one side of a housing, a yieldable, enlargeable diaphragm operatively associated with the fiber exit or outlet location and a driveable plunger arranged in the housing and directed towards the fiber exit or outlet opening. This driveable plunger can be moved between a retracted terminal position and an extended or advanced terminal position.
There is already known to the art an apparatus of the type generally discussed above, wherein the housing is formed by the separation chamber or compartment of a fiber separator and which is limited by a cylindrical sieve body. The fiber separator separates the fibers from a transport air current or stream. The separator chamber contains a coaxially arranged displacement body along which there is moveable the plunger which is constructed as a ring-shaped plate member. The spring-elastic elements of the diaphragm extend approximately in a radial plane, and the inner free ends of the elements bear at the underside of the displacement body. During the initial compaction stroke of the plunger the material which has collected below the plunger is compressed together at the diaphragm until the developed pressure lifts the free ends of the spring-elastic elements from the displacement body and bend such free ends upwardly, so that there is produced a passage for the fiber material. During the next following compaction stroke of the plunger additional fiber material is ejected out of the separator chamber through such passage and conveyed into a container merging at the connection elements or studs. With increasing filling of the container, which may be constituted by an air impervious sack or bag, there occurs within the container a proper compaction of the fibers. The diaphragm prevents by means of its spring-elastic elements that upon the return stroke of the plunger fiber material will be moved out of the container or the outlet connections or studs back into the separation chamber.
The compaction of the fibers in the container is however limited by virtue of the fact that such fibers, when they have been ejected between the displacement body and the diaphragm, depart in a ring-shaped compressed configuration and form a hose-shaped tress. The volume of this hose-like tress cannot be appreciably changed during the subsequent compaction of the fibers in the container. Accordingly, for a given size of the container it is necessary to remove relatively frequently a full container from the equipment and to connect an empty container. Additionally, the relatively large volume renders more expensive both the storage and also the transport of the fibers.
The assignee of this application also has obtained by way of example, the following patents relating to fiber handling equipment, namely U.S. Pat. No. 3,601,955, U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,333 and German Pat. No. 2,254,490 and further is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,418.